Ball change? Bstone Tour BX alternatives

[firehole]

My stash of 2020 Bridgestone Tour BX is officially gone and am looking for some suggestions. 

 

-It’s windy the majority of the time where I play and feel the the tour bx has been really good off the tee, but can always use more distance. 

-Irons have had good height/spin and mostly drop and stop quickly.

-Wedge play has had plenty of spin. -Overall it’s been a good ball for me, only thing I would change is off the putter they could be a little softer but it’s not an absolute deal breaker. So my search for a replacement is as follows:

 

 

1- Most similar overall regardless of price?

 

2- Lower cost alternatives?

 

3- Most similar overall regardless of price but softer feeling off the putter?

 

 

I Don’t necessarily need to change, just seeing if I should be testing anything else before spending any $$$ especially since I got these at $35/dzn. Thanks in advance!

[ws65]

I'm in the same boat. I'm looking at Vice Pro/Pro+ or I might wait and see what's going on with the Snell prototypes.

[Abh159]

Played the BX for about 2 years. I liked it and also had no complaints other than wanting something slightly softer. I switched the the ProV1 and have been happy. Found it very similar overall (distance, spin, height, etc.) with a slightly softer feel all around. 

 

That being said... If you're getting them for $35/dz I don't know if switching makes sense for you. I assume that since you asked about cheaper options price is a consideration for you.

 

FWIW I tested a few others before settling on the ProV1 and didn't like any of them for various reasons (TP5 and TP5x, BXS, Chrome Soft X, and ProV1x)

[Drewhill44]

I'd recommend trying the 2022 Tour BX(Very similar flight characteristics to the 2020 version, but a slightly softer feel off all clubs), or the Srixon Z-Star Diamond.  I switched to the Diamond from the 2022 BX because of the softer feel(Pro V1 like) and better short game spin and control.  For me, it also flies at a similar trajectory and distance as the '22 BX and is just as good in the wind as the BX.  I am also interested to see the new Snell MTB's that hopefully are released this year.  The current MTB-X is very comparable the BX as well.  

[hammergolf]

The new 2022 BX is softer than the pervious version, especially off the putter. I’d recommend you trying the 2022 model.

[firehole]

5 hours ago, Abh159 said:

That being said... If you're getting them for $35/dz I don't know if switching makes sense for you. I assume that since you asked about cheaper options price is a consideration for you.

Yea I can’t get them any more at that price so I’ll have to pony up full $$ or find something cheaper. 
 

 

Thanks for the suggestions of the 2022 bx, prov1, zstar diamond, mtbx, and vice. Honestly didn’t think there would be that many which where similar. 

[MattM97]

Chrome Soft X and Srixon Diamond I found to sit in the same/similar category of the Tour B X. 

 

Could maybe find older CSX on sale, Diamond no chance now until the new ones are out. 

[Vlade15]

In my opinion, you wont find a longer ball than the Bridgestone BX unless you go with the Cally CS LS or Left Dash Pro V - and then you are really playing a rock.

[Vlade15]

But to answer your question as far as a potential replacement - the Vice Pro Plus is roughly the same compression and it is a fantastic ball for around the same price (cheaper if you buy enough of them).

[IdahoHacker]

I had been playing the ProV1 - with no issues.  Ran out and bought some BX/BXS to try.  Liked them both - really liked the BX.  Interested to see how the new Srixon series compares as well as the new Prov's.  I could easily play the BX or the ProV1.  BXS was a little soft.

 

No shortage of good balls - just need time to test them all! 🙂

[firehole]

4 hours ago, Vlade15 said:

In my opinion, you wont find a longer ball than the Bridgestone BX unless you go with the Cally CS LS or Left Dash Pro V - and then you are really playing a rock.

Yea I’m not looking to go even firmer than the bx so I won’t be testing those options regardless of performance off the driver. But I’ll have to look into the vice pro. 

Edited January 30 by firehole

[firehole]

On 1/27/2023 at 12:48 PM, hammergolf said:

The new 2022 BX is softer than the pervious version, especially off the putter. I’d recommend you trying the 2022 model.

If this is true then I’ll test the 22 model against a shortlist of other balls once I can narrow them all down. 

[Airjenks]

Callaway csx LS is definitely not hard as a rock… you must be talking about the older version. I think the new version feels softer than the bx. Love the ball and amazing in the wind.

[firehole]

Quick follow up question:

 

Which version of the proV family is most like the tour bx? Not sure about how they all overlap. 

[GHIN n Juice]

31 minutes ago, firehole said:

Quick follow up question:

 

Which version of the proV family is most like the tour bx? Not sure about how they all overlap. 

ProV1 is probably the closest.  The X is closer to the BXS.

[JJgolfwrx]

On 1/30/2023 at 2:50 PM, firehole said:

If this is true then I’ll test the 22 model against a shortlist of other balls once I can narrow them all down. 

Definitely try the 22 model. I was between BX22 or the Callaway Chrome Soft LS. Callaway won because it has a slightly lower flight on the driver and irons and is fantastic in the wind. 

[Avidswampthing66]

On 1/29/2023 at 5:13 PM, MattM97 said:

Chrome Soft X and Srixon Diamond I found to sit in the same/similar category of the Tour B X. 

 

Could maybe find older CSX on sale, Diamond no chance now until the new ones are out. 

I thought the same thing.  I felt CSX and B XS had very similar feel and qualities

[Stanks]

Just buy MTB - X. 

[jls667]

On 1/31/2023 at 1:13 AM, Airjenks said:

Callaway csx LS is definitely not hard as a rock… you must be talking about the older version. I think the new version feels softer than the bx. Love the ball and amazing in the wind.

 

Ditto this. I was a BX loyalist for years going back to when it was longer than anything and was quite firm feeling. For some reason over the years Bridgestone made it softer and spinnier. There's plenty of tests showing how similar it is to BXS now. I started to notice a loss of distance with it due to the increased spin. Nice ball otherwise but I wasn't hitting my expected numbers.

 

Gave the LS a go last year and love it. Like you said, not hard as a rock at all like Left Dash. A great combo of soft feel and low spin. It is a firm soft feel but not clicky like LD or Z star XV. 

[ANimz]

On 1/27/2023 at 12:07 PM, firehole said:

My stash of 2020 Bridgestone Tour BX is officially gone and am looking for some suggestions. 

 

-It’s windy the majority of the time where I play and feel the the tour bx has been really good off the tee, but can always use more distance. 

-Irons have had good height/spin and mostly drop and stop quickly.

-Wedge play has had plenty of spin. -Overall it’s been a good ball for me, only thing I would change is off the putter they could be a little softer but it’s not an absolute deal breaker. So my search for a replacement is as follows:

 

 

1- Most similar overall regardless of price?

 

2- Lower cost alternatives?

 

3- Most similar overall regardless of price but softer feeling off the putter?

 

 

I Don’t necessarily need to change, just seeing if I should be testing anything else before spending any $$$ especially since I got these at $35/dzn. Thanks in advance!

Snell MTB-X is a pretty long ball.  You will lose some greenside spin though, as well as cover durability.  I have seen many prove the numbers between the Vice Pro+ and ProV1 are very similar.  

[Andygolderson]

i've played many balls recently and so far cannot beat the BX. AVX might be the closest contended i've played so far and i'm currently trying our some Wilson Staff Model R. They're softer for sure, felt pretty good so far, however, i don't think they are as long off the tee from what i saw so far.

Chrome soft X or XLS could also be comparable, again, looking to test these out as well. The X was OK, but haven't tried the LS yet much.

[Fairways_and_Greens]

Not sure how they did it, but the 22 BX feels/sounds softer around the green compared to the 20. 

[firehole]

So I decided to run through Ballnamic before I bought some balls earlier today and got some similar results to the suggestions already and some commonly occurring balls mentioned in the Ballnamic thread. Ran through all 5 "fitting" trying to mix things up a little and here's what it spit out in terms of number of recommendations:

 

Tour BX- 5/5

Z Star XV- 4/5

Chromesoft X- 3/5

MTB-X- 3/5

Maxfli Tour- 2/5

Vice Pro Plus- 2/5

 

I'm a little surprised by two things: 1- Tour BX went 5-for-5 even when I reduced the importance for fliers and wind performance, which it seems ballnamic favors. 2- Not once was a Prov1 or Prov1x mentioned, a head scratcher for sure considering how much usage it sees across all tours and ams worldwide.

 

Now that I have a good list it's time to start narrowing it down. Moving forward I'm going to break up my search into a cheaper/dtc option (snell, maxfli, vice) and a more expensive option (bx, z star xv/diamond, chromesoft x, prov1). I think this will help me simplify things when comparing a few balls at a time opposed to comparing all of them at once.

 

Thanks for all the help! Time for testing.

[nitram]

On 1/30/2023 at 2:50 PM, firehole said:

If this is true then I’ll test the 22 model against a shortlist of other balls once I can narrow them all down. 

It's true.

[rxk9fan]

I have been attached to the Tour BX for a few years. Very recently tried the Maxfli Tour X after reading ball reviews on My Golf Spy and a few other sites. I saw nothing on the course that contradicted anything they said. The Tour X is a fast and clicky ball. It is long off the driver and spins exceptionally well around the green. 
It is not soft, it looked decent (not great) after 18 holes, and handled the wind well.

Best thing is no else is playing them so very easy to identify my ball. I am happy enough I grabbed 8 dozen at $30/dozen and they shipped free. 
In a nutshell, very pro1x like to me.

[cw1209]

18 hours ago, firehole said:

So I decided to run through Ballnamic before I bought some balls earlier today and got some similar results to the suggestions already and some commonly occurring balls mentioned in the Ballnamic thread. Ran through all 5 "fitting" trying to mix things up a little and here's what it spit out in terms of number of recommendations:

 

Tour BX- 5/5

Z Star XV- 4/5

Chromesoft X- 3/5

MTB-X- 3/5

Maxfli Tour- 2/5

Vice Pro Plus- 2/5

 

I'm a little surprised by two things: 1- Tour BX went 5-for-5 even when I reduced the importance for fliers and wind performance, which it seems ballnamic favors. 2- Not once was a Prov1 or Prov1x mentioned, a head scratcher for sure considering how much usage it sees across all tours and ams worldwide.

 

Now that I have a good list it's time to start narrowing it down. Moving forward I'm going to break up my search into a cheaper/dtc option (snell, maxfli, vice) and a more expensive option (bx, z star xv/diamond, chromesoft x, prov1). I think this will help me simplify things when comparing a few balls at a time opposed to comparing all of them at once.

 

Thanks for all the help! Time for testing.

 

I have done the ballnamic fittings a couple times and usually get fit into Pro V1x, Chrome Soft X, and BX. The list you got are the balls I often see as alternative fits. Pro V1x is the closest Titleist fit to BX. Both fly high, spin around the green, and have a firmer feel. Pro V1x will spin more off the irons though. You list suggests you either A) don't need more spin or a steeper descent angle with your irons or B) don't want a workable golf ball. You have a perfect list for someone looking for high launch, long off the driver, low to moderate workability off the irons. What's left is your preference for full wedge spin, greenside control, putter feel. Your more expensive options will give you more spin around the green and your cheaper options will give you a little less. 

[Longdriver295]

19 hours ago, firehole said:

So I decided to run through Ballnamic before I bought some balls earlier today and got some similar results to the suggestions already and some commonly occurring balls mentioned in the Ballnamic thread. Ran through all 5 "fitting" trying to mix things up a little and here's what it spit out in terms of number of recommendations:

 

Tour BX- 5/5

Z Star XV- 4/5

Chromesoft X- 3/5

MTB-X- 3/5

Maxfli Tour- 2/5

Vice Pro Plus- 2/5

 

I'm a little surprised by two things: 1- Tour BX went 5-for-5 even when I reduced the importance for fliers and wind performance, which it seems ballnamic favors. 2- Not once was a Prov1 or Prov1x mentioned, a head scratcher for sure considering how much usage it sees across all tours and ams worldwide.

 

Now that I have a good list it's time to start narrowing it down. Moving forward I'm going to break up my search into a cheaper/dtc option (snell, maxfli, vice) and a more expensive option (bx, z star xv/diamond, chromesoft x, prov1). I think this will help me simplify things when comparing a few balls at a time opposed to comparing all of them at once.

 

Thanks for all the help! Time for testing.

I did the ballnamic twice and neither time gave me Srixon XV. But I tried it and Wow that ball for me is a winner! I have been playing around some with the V1x which was not in ballnamic list either. But the V1x Flys really to high for me almost Ballooning at times. It does help off the long irons due to the spin, but the Z Star XV is just as good. I was going to play V1x since Titleist is likely bringing the 4/3 deal back. But the Jury is still out on the V1x. My ball is Bettween the XV and V1x but leaning toward XV.